2006 Jeep Commander 4X2 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off while driving, idling or slowing to a stop, sometimes together with a loss of electrical power and power steering/brake assist. A second common theme is interior door handles cracking apart inside the door panels. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from vehicles with only a few thousand miles to well past 100,000.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls and loses electrical power while driving

   • 60 complaints (41%)
   • median 23,100 mi at 2.5 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2018

   Complaints describe the engine quitting suddenly at parking-lot speeds, at stoplights, or at highway speed, in some cases with all electrical power dropping and power steering and power brakes going away until the vehicle is shifted into park and restarted. Several owners say dealers could not duplicate the problem or found no stored codes, though some had computers flashed, the ignition switch replaced or the battery replaced without a lasting result. A number of complaints mention that the vehicle's VIN was not covered by the recall notices they had found. Reported from a few hundred miles up into the 190,000-mile range, with many entries below 20,000 miles and no clear weather pattern.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, note whether the idle is steady and whether the engine has ever cut out at low speed; ask for any stored diagnostic codes and whether the PCM has been reflashed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2006 4.7l v8 Jeep commander that has been stalling at slow speeds. I am very concerned because my wife uses the car with my children in it and the dealership cannot figure out what is wrong. The car has been to sawgrass Jeep in sunrise, florida twice and both times they told me they do not know what the problem is.”

   NHTSA complaint #10183433, filed 2007-02, 5,000 miles

   “I was driving my new 2006 Jeep commander limited home from a children's party at approximately 8:30 pm on christmas eve and was traveling northbound on the taconic state parkway at 54 MPH with the cruise control activated. The vehicle cut out completely(stall), it lost all electrical power, the headlights and all interior lighting went out, the engine shut off. Fortunately I was traveling at the time on a straight section of road and there were no other cars on the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10148480, filed 2006-01, 136 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Dashboard warning lights and gauges acting erratically

   • 49 complaints (33%)
   • median 62,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Complaints describe clusters of dashboard warning lights (ABS, traction control, airbag, check engine) flashing on and off, gauges floating or dropping out, turn signals and lights working intermittently, and the gear display showing all gears at once. Some owners link the behavior to water entering through sunroof or roof drains; others say the dealer could not reproduce it or suggested an electronic stability control module with no guaranteed fix. Spread from about 15,000 to 100,000 miles, with several reports tied to rainy weather or a wet interior.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for water stains or damp carpet near the sunroof and A-pillars, confirm the sunroof drains are clear, and scan for stored codes before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2006 Jeep comannder is experiencing problems listed by many owners, delayed tranmission engagement, warning lights flashing on & off, won't start. It has stalled once. I have checked my VIN # for recalls and it's not on any list. I am afraid to drive my vehicle and have no other tranportation. The dealer I contacted has not heard about the flashing light problem and has not got back to me after giving him my VIN #. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10390268, filed 2011-03, 75,000 miles

   “My car leaks during rain from the sunroof to the blue hose drain and flooded my car. Which messed up the electrical system. I'm having problems with my car saying it's over heating but it's not it's the electrical system telling the computer in car that it's how when its not and now my transmission is messed up we think. My car is currently at Jeep dealer in cerritos, ca for 2 days now and no one can tell me what wrong.”

   NHTSA complaint #11196586, filed 2019-04, 100,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Interior door handles crack and doors won't open from inside

   • 14 complaints (10%)
   • median 58,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2017

   Owners describe the plastic trim and handle cups around the inside door handles cracking, crumbling or breaking loose so the door cannot be opened from the inside, sometimes on all four doors. Complaints say dealers quoted whole door-panel replacement, which owners describe as expensive, and that a prior door panel had already been replaced on a used purchase. Most entries fall between roughly 30,000 and 99,000 miles; some report the first handle failing around 45,000 miles.

   What to check: Open and close each door from the inside on both sides and look for cracks or looseness in the handle surround; ask whether any door panels have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The front and rear door handles cracked, and don't work. If my child or the driver needs to get out they cant. My local dealership in orlando florida, wants me to pay $750 for each. This is crazy..... How can a handle cost that. Jeep should replace this faulty issue not me, I paid enough for the car. I have owned 3 jeeps in my life. This will be the last.”

   NHTSA complaint #10453581, filed 2012-03, 68,000 miles

   “The same day I purchased my used 2006 Jeep commander, I was attempting to open the rear passenger door from the inside when the trim around the handle cracked and a piece of plastic flew off. The handle now dangles, useless and loose. I was told by the dealer that they had also just replaced the driver's door panel prior to our purchase, having encountered the very same problem with that door. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10428301, filed 2011-10, 34,258 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission delayed engagement, slipping out of gear or

   • 17 complaints (12%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2016

   Owners report the transmission taking a moment to engage after the vehicle sits, the shifter moving out of drive into neutral on its own, unintended movement in neutral, and the vehicle holding a gear with the transmission light on. Complaints mention dealer diagnoses pointing to the transmission control module or sensors, and some owners note their VIN was not included in a related recall. Typically reported between about 23,000 and 120,000 miles, several after the vehicle had been parked for extended periods.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a cold start, shift into drive and reverse and note any delay or harsh engagement; ask whether the cooler return filter or transmission control module work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my 2006 Jeep commander out a parking lot and it lost complete power. It started stalling and I took the vehicle to a chrysler dealership and they say I have to pay to have the PCM updated and that affected the electronic shift module. I did some research after speaking with them and it seems to be a problem on this type of vehicle and even a recall (#08v20300).”

   NHTSA complaint #10278156, filed 2009-07, 23,100 miles

   “We have called Jeep to let them know what is going on with the vehicle. The computer to the transmission is putting in gears that are not correct. Sometimes u can let gas go and Jeep will be running 20 to 30 miles on its own. Also yesterday I put the Jeep on neutral and it went reverse real fast about 15 miles. The Jeep was level so no excuse why it should be going backwards on neutral. I have called Jeep and let them know and they tell me I have to take it to get fixed. I don't have the money to do this right now. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10519730, filed 2013-06, 96,000 miles

Buying note. Give this model year a thorough test drive that includes idling in gear and slow-speed maneuvering, and ask for diagnostic codes and any service history on the ignition, PCM and transmission. Inspect the interior door handles and sunroof drains, since both come up repeatedly in owner complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.